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SMASH HITS ARTICLES
LIGHTS, CAMERAS, A STRETCH LIMO - WE MUST BE IN HOLLYWOOD!ERM, NO,
EAST LONDON ACTUALLY, BUT IT'S GLAM 'N' GLITZY AT THE FILMING OF
NEXT OF KIN'S FIRIN' NEW VID!
$STARRING A CAST OF THOUSANDS$
Mark, Kieran and Nathan, plus 36 'Hollywood' extras, including:
A plastic surgeon, his patient, a rock star, his rock chicks, named
'One' and 'Two', some big-time movie moguls, a superhero, an elvis
and a Marilyn Monroe.
$A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF THRILLS AND SPILLS$
Next of Kin have been stuck in the back of a car with two cameramen
and a superhero for the past three hours. It's a bit of a squeeze,
and Mark's not too sure about their new muscle-man friend.
"He's covered in oil!" he squeals. Still, his face lights up when it's
the turn of two saucy girls to climb onto the back seat with them.
"He's been talking about sex to everyone today," moans Nathan. Later
they confess they chose this script "Cos it had the most girls in it!"
Outside the limo, various gaffers, grips and technicians manhandle
white polystyrene boards into position, and lights and raised and
dimmed and raised again 'til the director's happy. Finally, there's
a shout of "Positions now, please!" - which is a cue for Mark to jump
out of the car and run to the loo! All in all, the limo scenes take
a bum-numbing ten hours to film.
$SEE THE STUNNING SPECIAL EFFECTS$
The Kinsters utilise the very latest in simulated motion technology
to give the impression that the limo's zippin' down a Hollywood
boulevard. In other words, there's a bloke in front jumping up and down
on the bonnet, while another wheels a massive light past the window to
imitate street lamps. STAR WARS eat your heart out!
$GASP AT THESE AMAZING FILM FACTS$
>>The ultra swank limo used in the vid is a white Lincoln Stretch
Towncar - the choice of every self-respecting superstar.
>>During filming, Kieran was nursing a sore mouth. He's just had
six teeth out - which required 27 injections!
>>Mark's super-fly chrome guitar is one of only 19 in the world, and
it's worth a cool three grand!
>>The food on offer was: Red Mullet with Lemon and Parsley; Gnocchi
in Tomato and Basil; and Organic Chicken and Mushroom pie. Kieran
went for the fish, Mark for pie and Nathan had on of each! They all
opted for the 'ketchup' option, too...
ROC-KIN'!
IF THERE'S ONE THING GUARANTEED TO GET THOSE NEXT OF KIN BRUVS BABBLING
IT'S ASKING THEM ABOUT THEIR INSTRUMENTS. RIGHT THEN, DEEP BREATH AND
OFF WE GO...
MARK, THE GUTIARIST
"How many chords do I know? That's a stupid question, hahaha! I think I
know all of them, but I don't know how many 'all of them' is. There are
augmented chords, diminished chords, chords to do with different scales,
sevenths and ninths, y'know what I mean? If you know all the octaves, you
know all the chords. Once you know a chord, you know all the variations.
"Guitarists have a reputation for being show-offs, and though I'm not really
a show-off, it can happen sometimes. Like, I'll go the front of the stage
and touch all the girl's hands! Once I was in the middle of a song so I
started waving my leg instead, but they grabbed it and started pulling me off
the stage! I was going 'Let go! I've got to get back to my mic before the next
verse!'"
KIERAN, THE BASS PLAYER
"The bass has four strings but its bigger and longer than a guitar, with a lower
tone. I play a full sized one, though it's got the smallest body and neck that we
could find. If my bass didn't have a thin neck, I'd only be able reach two of the
strings!
"I can't learn a song 'til Mark's learnt it, 'cos the notes I play are the same as
the guitar. I used to want to play rhythmn guitar, but I'll stick with the bass
for the moment.
"Do we smash up our instruments? No, we're not like that. You can feel sorry for
an instrument, even though it's an inanimate object. If I smashed it up, I'd be like
'Poor guitar...'"
NATHAN, THE DRUMMER
"You've got you bass drum, your snare and your toms, then you've got your cymbals,
high hats, bells...When you come to make up the beat, it depends on the tempo of the
song, then you can add little flicks. Once you've got the rhythmn, you can stick
in any fills you want. When you're playing you just make it up as you go along. You're
just grooving. Sometimes I go a bit mad and these two don't like it - but I love to
just go for it.
"I'm always tapping my feet. I used to do it at school - they thought it was a nervous
twitch. I used to run round the house, banging walls. Me mum thought there was something
wrong and took me to the doctor's! She should have just bought me a drum kit!"
GONNA SHINE IN '99 - NEXT OF KIN
WHO ARE NEXT OF KIN?
Kieran Bass (13) who plays bass and his brothers Nathan (18) and Mark
(15) who play drums and guitar respectively. All the brothers sing,
though Mark's the lead.
HOW DID THEY START OUT?
The band were discovered after Mark won a 'Guitarist of the Year'
competition. They met a record comapny bod in a music shop in
Birmingham, impressed him, and it went from there!
WHAT TO THEY SOUND LIKE?
Kieran says they're nothing like Hanson, although the threesome's
debut single, 24 hours from you, sounds quite a bit like the Tulsa
teens. "It's poppy sort of rock," reckon the Kin.
WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO THEM?
"Our manager says you should listen to us 'cos we're cute," joshes
Kieran. "But also 'cos we all play our own instruments and we rock!"
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT THE BAND...
Next of Kin are all sports heroes. Nathan has won trophies for BMX biking
Kieran was picked for the England Karate squad and Mark has been
awarded all his badges in gymastics!
